50. The Ropers
diannecan/MovieStillsDBThere was a reason for The Ropers to be made. It was a direct spin-off from Three’s Company. The spin-off culture has slowed in recent years, though it was quite prevalent during the ’70s and ’80s. Audra Lindley and Norman Fell were the heartbeat of this show (pictured above). Jeffrey Tambor also starred as one of the key players. Some felt as if the show was crushed by a poor time slot. Whether that was the case or not, this show only lasted two seasons before ending.
49. Barney & Friends
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We’re guessing that the individual responsible for this list was more of a Sesame Street fan. While it would never come out and claim to be a direct competitor, we’re guessing that Barney was just that. It was a gigantic purple dinosaur who often would pal around with a group of young kids. Though it may seem wild to some, the show lasted 14 seasons and almost 270 episodes.
48. Bless This House
Dragonballs/MovieStillsDBDice as the family man? What a concept. Andrew Dice Clay is a phenomenal comic and someone who isn’t afraid to speak his mind. He’s also not the guy you’d assume would be the lead in a sitcom as the patriarch of a family. Including the effervescent Cathy Moriarty, the talented duo acted in a 16-episode season. Clay was a postal worker of all things, and the show suffered from clunky writing. It also got caught in the halfway point between being a family comedy and something more adult in nature.
47. Rango
Ron Galella, Ltd. via Getty ImagesTim Conway had some hits, but this wasn’t one of them. Though we must account for the time when this show was created (1967), it’s never a good idea to have a Caucasian person portraying an individual of another race — especially when utilizing skin color-altering paint (the actor portraying the Native American man was actually Italian-American). The show utilized a bunch of overplayed stereotypes, and would likely never be accepted in today’s climate.
46. Me and the Chimp
diannecan/MovieStillsDBAnything Garry Marshall touched usually turned to gold. The late producer/creator/writer was a fixture in Hollywood for decades. However, this sitcom was not one of his better projects. A family pseudo-adopted a chimp, and — of course — the chimp proved to be mischievous in a number of ways. After ‘Buttons’ and company had a 13-episode run, the show was cancelled. There’s only so much content you can conjure up revolving around a chimp.
45. A.K.A. Pablo
lisakenobi/MovieStillsDBThis show had real potential! Produced by television royalty in Norman Lear, it featured breakout comic Paul Rodriguez and respected longtime actor Hector Elizondo. The show was cancelled after only six episodes. We have to say, this likely was a show ahead of its time. In the last 10-15 years, we’ve seen countless comedic series detailing the lives of ex-comics coming from unique backgrounds. As was the case with this sitcom, it took place in 1984.
44. She’s the Sheriff
diannecan/MovieStillsDBSuzanne Somers was a big deal back in the ’80s. This particular sitcom was supposed to function as a platform for Somers to shine. We do applaud its progressive nature in having a female lead involved in a profession many automatically illustrate (through film/television) as a man’s job. Somers’ character is a widow suddenly thrust into the role her late husband left behind. Of course, being a sitcom, she has to deal with all sorts of kooky and interesting characters. It was cancelled after two seasons.
43. Woops!
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In 1992, FOX gave us Woops! — a show all about what life would be in the aftermath of a nuclear apocalypse where only six people survived. The group is tasked with trying to essentially repopulate the planet while living out on a farm. None of the actors on the show were big names, and that didn’t help the show squeeze out a longer lifespan. As such, only 10 of the show’s 13 episodes were released before the show was unceremoniously cancelled. However, FOX did strike gold decades later with a similarly-based show in Will Forte’s Last Man on Earth.
42. The Flying Nun
Duc4/MovieStillsDBIs that face familiar? It should be — as famed actress Sally Field portrayed what the title of the show would suggest…a flying nun. From 1967-70, Field portrayed a nun who could fly when aided by the wind/some sort of stiff breeze. While we love Field and think she’s a fantastic performer, the premise of this show is utterly ridiculous in nature. It’s astounding to think it lasted for as long as it did.
41. The Tom Green Show
Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagesTom Green’s sense of humor is an acquired taste. Heavily influenced by many of the fellow Canadian comics who came before him, there was a period in which Tom Green was actually ‘a thing’ in the annals of pop culture. It was a sketch comedy show for the most part, though Green was unabashed when pushing the proverbial envelope. It was objectively silly and simply did not resonate with all who tuned in for the hijinks.
40. Makin’ It
diannecan/MovieStillsDBMakin’ It came too late to the party. It was one of those shows looking to capitalize on the combination of the disco era along with Italian-American culture. We saw examples of these premises most notably with Rocky and Saturday Night Fever. Two years after the latter, this show was produced and aired on ABC. The inherent problem likely stemmed from the fact that people had moved on from Disco and into different genres of music. Despite the fact the show was co-created by Garry Marshall and Lowell Ganz and featured John Travolta’s sister, Ellen, it lasted only eight episodes before the plug was pulled.
39. The New Leave It to Beaver
Bob Riha, Jr/Getty ImagesLeave It to Beaver was a gigantic hit during the late ’50s/early ’60s. Naturally, as many aim to do, the show was brought back 30 years later as a means to revive the past fandom. The New Leave It to Beaver simply failed to bring back the magic of the past. The characters we once knew as kids were suddenly transformed into adults with their own families. The show did its best to recapture what made it special in the first place. Many of the supporting cast came back in some form or fashion. Alas, it was one of those things where — despite being on-air for 101 episodes — probably shouldn’t have been remade in the first place.
38. Hell Town
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty ImagesRobert Blake (as you can see above) was the lead in this drama series. Here, Blake is undoubtedly a priest. His main goal is to help those out in a rough neighborhood set in LA. The added wrinkle here is that Blake’s character is more street-savvy rather than polished. He was once caught up in the street life. Now heavily involved in the church, he’s hoping to lead people away from a life of crime (as he ultimately did). The premise does sound somewhat interesting. However, NBC only kept it on air for 15 episodes. There’s some version of this show that actually may work in the present time.
37. Saturday Night Live With Howard Cosell
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This is one of those ideas that may sound good on paper. However, when aimed to be executed, it fails in fantastic fashion. It would’ve been one thing had Howard Cosell hosted an episode of SNL. Instead, ABC thought it best that its premier sports broadcaster could somehow host his own comedy hour variety show. This was despite the fact Cosell had zero background in skit creation or even comedy save for a few humorous moments when calling a football game. As expected, it was a disaster — lasting less than 20 episodes before being shelved.
36. The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo
bigpix/MovieStillsDBFor nearly 40 episodes, Sheriff Lobo was a fixture on network television. It was a spin-off from B.J. and the Bear — focusing on the titular character. It was a show that essentially was aimed at more rural audiences, which accounted for poor ratings in bigger cities/more urban areas. Additionally, there were elements of the show which seemed eerily similar to other popular sitcoms of the time. With a faulty premise and lackluster overarching focus, the show was doomed.
35. Pink Lady
CaptainOT/MovieStillsDBThis show was a mess from the start. Japanese pop duo Pink Lady (Mei and Kei) had a hit in English which performed exceptionally well all over the world. This variety show crushed it in Japan, and as such network execs thought the same format would work in the States. Reportedly, they didn’t realize that Mei and Kei were not fluent in English (they assumed they were based on the hit single). As such, the cultural differences along with the lack of speaking English fluently essentially led to a choppy production. The sketch comedy skits didn’t work, and the show was shelved after only five episodes.
34. Alexander the Great
MovieStillsDBIn the early ’60s, this one-off episode was originally produced by ABC. Fascinatingly enough, the two leads of the project were Adam West (of Batman fame) and William Shatner. John Cassavetes was even included in the cast. The story has some inconsistencies, and many have since compared it historically to other projects delving into the same topic matter. While this was technically a pilot episode, it never gained traction — thus allowing for West and Shatner to pursue other, far more lucrative opportunities.
33. Holmes and Yoyo
diannecan/MovieStillsDBThe cop comedy genre has long been a ‘thing’ in the realm of sitcoms. Usually, the cop buddy programs have some sort of dichotomy — where one is a wisecracking jokester, while the other is more serious and measured. In this case, someone had the bright idea to pair a veteran cop with an android named Yoyo. Even weirder, the android is billed as some ‘secret weapon’ to wrangle up criminals everywhere (the character has several ‘superhuman’ traits including the ability to read an entire book within seconds). The show did not do well and was cancelled after 11 episodes.
32. Co-Ed Fever
diannecan/MovieStillsDBSome perspective must be kept with this show. It came out in 1979 — shortly after Animal House took the comedy world by storm. Of course, network execs wanted to capitalize on the narratives surrounding raunchy college kids. However, Co-Ed Fever didn’t enjoy the same type of success. Namely, because John Belushi wasn’t in this sitcom. Secondly, the show got cancelled after one episode. It was reportedly so bad (and crude) that viewers called the network and voiced their displeasure over the content matter.
31. Homeboys in Outer Space
Getty ImagesDarryl Bell and Flex Alexander were known commodities during the ’90s. Whether it was television or film, the duo had been comedic fixtures for the younger generation. The network UPN decided to pair the duo up for a sitcom in which the two of them were astronauts in the future (200 years beyond when the filming of the show took place). Somehow the show did last 21 episodes. However, due to low ratings and tired/unfunny jokes, it failed to be picked up for a second season.
30. Unhappily Ever After
Clayton Chase/WireImage/Getty ImagesThe ’90s was a golden age for sitcoms. It also was the time period when audiences were introduced to some absolutely atrocious shows. Unhappily Ever After aimed to capitalize on an atypical family beset by various problems. Despite some real acting talent in Justin Berfeld, Nikki Cox, Bobcat Goldthwait, Kevin Connolly, and Stephanie Hodge, the show was utterly strange from a storyline standpoint. We had a talking rabbit, people brought back to life from the dead, and comedic elements of drug abuse. Unsurprisingly, this show had mixed reviews.
29. The Howard Stern Show
Vinnie Zuffante/Getty ImagesHoward Stern is a polarizing guy no matter how you slice it. He has his loyalists from both television and radio. You’ve also seen him appear in various movies, and also The Howard Stern Show (which was to air on Fox). The show was ultimately cancelled by the network after test audiences found the hour-long episodes to be a bit too much compared to some of the other shows of the time. Still to this day, people absolutely love Stern, even if his television career hasn’t exactly lit the world on fire.
28. Supertrain
CaptainOT/MovieStillsDBTalk about a waste of time and money. In order to have an authentic feel to the show, Supertrain literally had a model train made for the series. That one ultimately crashed, and thus the network had to drop $10 million on three sets of trains. At the time, it was said to be the most expensive TV show to date. Making matters worse, the show tanked in the ratings. The setting of the show was this luxurious state-of-the-art train where people from all walks of life would interact. However, it wasn’t glamorous enough to prevent the show from being cancelled after nine episodes.
27. Turn-On
bigpix/MovieStillsDBThis show was not a turn-on to network execs all across the country. Tim Conway led this sketch show, which was a bit racy for the time period (particularly when it came to sexual jokes). This show only lasted one episode — and as the story goes, it was cancelled midway through the only episode. In fact, viewers were calling into various networks to complain about the show as it aired. Some networks didn’t even bring the show back after the first commercial — instead opting to fill the time with empty air space or music.
26. Life With Lucy
CBS via Getty ImagesWe usually love Lucy — but not in this format. Let’s put it this way…the show was taken off the air after eight episodes despite the fact that 13 were created. It’s hard to envision Ball without her sidekick Desi Arnaz. This show had her playing alongside another man (Gale Gordon). Ultimately, despite Ball’s efforts to recreate the magic from her past shows (which included hiring production members from I Love Lucy), it just never landed well with audiences. The show also featured former child actor/current singer Jenny Lewis.
25. Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire?
John Roca/NY Daily News Archive via Getty ImagesYou can see how this show would rub people the wrong way. 50 women were embroiled in a competition where the winner would then get the prize of marrying a multi-millionaire. To make matters worse, the background check on the multi-millionaire failed to uncover that he had a restraining order involvement with a former partner. The eventual winner (Darva Conger) did marry the man (Rick Rockwell) — though Conger had the marriage reportedly annulled.
24. One of the Boys
CBS via Getty ImagesDana Carvey has been a comedic genius on a number of different platforms for over 40 years. Nathan Lane also has played the role of a funny man — though he also has a mass amount of experience as a dramatic actor. In addition to those two, this particular sitcom from 1982 featured Mickey Rooney and his buddy moving from a retirement facility and into his college grandson’s dorm (Carvey). Of course, this play on generational humor was supposed to be funny (though apparently it was anything but). Funnily enough, this sitcom also featured a rather unknown actress named Meg Ryan.
23. Sammy and Company
Robert Johnson / The Tennessean, Nashville Tennessean via Imagn Content Services, LLCIt seems as if these variety shows never seem to really land when featuring comics, musicians, or other sorts of performers. Sammy Davis is renowned for his ability as a musician. Simply put, he’s one of the greatest to ever do it. However, as the lead of a variety show, the same sort of potency we’ve become accustomed to from him simply wasn’t there. The show lasted for 53 episodes and spanned over the course of three seasons. While we did see Davis and his total package as a performer, TV Guide apparently didn’t see much else.
22. The Powers of Matthew Star
Carlito/MovieStillsDBAnytime you pair together the genres of Sci-Fi with comedy, you’re always running the risk that the show saddled with both of these frameworks will fall flat on its face. The Powers of Matthew Star aimed to mesh both genres. However, as you may have guessed, it didn’t go overly well. Somehow, an alien teenager was sent to Earth with the sole purpose of fighting crime. Peter Barton — the actor playing the titular character — actually was hospitalized for months after suffering an on-set accident where he endured horrible burns. After a year of this show running, it was cancelled.
21. Baywatch
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Baywatch is what it is. No one watching this show is here for award-winning performances, captivating storylines, or thought-provoking plots. You’re here to watch attractive women run down the beach in bikinis. An added perk is watching David Hasselhoff attempt to act. From one viewpoint, Baywatch is an absolutely wonderful and highly entertaining show. From another vantage point, it’s absolute garbage.
20. The Phyllis Diller Show
Ricardo Rolon / The News-PressSpunky performer Phyllis Diller was the architect behind her own show in the mid-’60s. Essentially, a family in need of cash aimed to scam the IRS by plotting a number of sneaky schemes to bypass paying taxes. The format was comedic in nature and took place with the fictional Pruitt family living in New York. The 30-episode run ended after two seasons. While some people did love the show, others reportedly did not find it the least bit funny.
19. The P.T.L. Club
Bettmann/Getty ImagesThis show has gotten some notoriety in recent months. Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker utilized this platform as a way to inspire others with their Christian faith. The show ran for 14 seasons, which would normally equal some solid success. Ultimately, the show was beset by scandal — primarily in the form of financial and sexual issues. The amount of twists and turns exposed was startling, and much of them were created in the hopes of keeping the show within the church’s grasp.
18. The Ugliest Girl in Town
Dick Darrell/Toronto Star via Getty ImagesWho thought this would’ve been a good show to create — let alone air on television? This show ran briefly from 1968-69. In what turns out to be a plot chock-full of plot holes, a man longs for his girlfriend based in the U.K. He later helps his brother with a photo shoot — where he poses as a hippie. Somehow, a studio abroad got wind of the pictures and hired the man (who looks like a woman) to be a female model. Of course, the studio is based in — you guessed it — the U.K. Being able to now see his girlfriend, the man must pretend to be a woman for as long as possible.
17. Casablanca
Warner Brothers Television/Getty ImagesWhen you’ve got Casablanca — universally revered as one of the best movies ever made — it makes all the sense in the world to simply let it stand alone as its own entity. The thirst in trying to capitalize on its brilliance with a weird spin-off is something that happened not only once, but twice. As the ratings from TV Guide indicate, both iterations (1955-56, 1983) did not do overly well in the grand scheme of things from a television standpoint.
16. The Chevy Chase Show
murraymomo/MovieStillsDBThere have been many examples of comedians given their own talk shows with the hopes that networks will strike gold with the famed format. Chevy Chase is a funny dude — there’s no denying that. As a talk show host…let’s just say his show didn’t exactly land with audiences. FOX had the show on for a little more than a month before it was unceremoniously cancelled. Chase didn’t like the show (as he mentioned in future interviews), and it was reported that the rehashed content coupled with unruly crowds made the experience very odd for all involved.
15. Manimal
Gary Null/NBCU Photo BankThis show may have actually been better in today’s climate — where superheroes are flooding our TV sets and movie screens. Alas, Manimal showcases a guy (Simon MacCorkindale) who helps the police solve crimes and mysteries. The catch: this pedestrian can morph into virtually any animal on the spot — whether it be a black panther, horse, snake, bear, dolphin, or anything else. As the story goes, the man was ‘trained in an African technique’ where he could transform from man to animal. The show lasted only eight episodes.
14. Baby Bob
CBS via Getty ImagesBaby Bob really did a number in spoiling the talents of some really gifted actors. Holland Taylor and Elliott Gould in particular have long been respected performers featuring in some really good programs. Baby Bob was not one of them. There was a weird craze throughout the ’90s and into the early 2000s where people became obsessed with babies who could talk like adults. This was a show centered around just that — a baby who could converse just like his grandparents and parents. Only 20 years ago, the CGI used for the baby-talking scenes looked even worse than they do today. As you probably could’ve guessed, the show was done after 12 episodes.
13. Twenty-One
Gary Gershoff/WireImage/Getty ImagesTwenty-One was a popular game show dating back to the 1950s. Embroiled by scandal (in which the show was choreographed and rigged), the show ended up going from the height of television to not existing. Once Who Wants to Be a Millionaire exploded on ABC, competing networks wanted to also tap into the game show model. NBC opted to revive the show with Maury Povich as the host. Suffice it to say, but the new iteration of the former classic did not land with current viewers.
12. Hello, Larry
CaptainOT/MovieStillsDBThis two-season show lasted 38 episodes. However, after the last set of episodes, it was deemed as a show that ultimately should not progress. The criticism of the show was two-fold. Firstly, the writing was reportedly deemed as being below par. Remember, the late ”70’s was a golden era for comedic sitcoms. Hello, Larry was being judged against some stiff competition. Secondly, viewers lamented over poor character development. Even actor McLean Stevenson couldn’t save this show from being a disaster.
11. The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer
CBS via Getty ImagesTalk about a controversial show. The premise for The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer is utterly strange. Essentially, this ‘period piece’ comedy shows a black man forced to leave the U.K. — and as such ends up becoming the butler to Abraham Lincoln. Of course, being a sitcom, hijinks would ensue, though it could never get off the plain fact that a weird adaptation of slavery was being shown on a network show. Things got so bad, that a handful of activist groups were protesting the show before it even aired. Of the nine episodes actually filmed, only four made it onto television before it was cancelled.
10. Hee Haw Honeys
bigpix/MovieStillsDBSpin-offs usually end up in two categories: Being a great addition to the original show — or people wishing it was never made in the first place. Hee Haw Honeys ended up in the latter category for a myriad of reasons. Despite possessing some real talents in Gailard Sartain and Kathie Lee Gifford, the show simply didn’t work. The show lasted for 24 episodes, and reviews indicated that the musical numbers, acting, and overall tone did not live up to the hype of the original show.
9. The Jackie Gleason Show
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty ImagesThis program actually aired on television for over 150 episodes and nearly 20 years. Of course, Gleason was the headliner. His comedic charm took off as a cast member of The Honeymooners. Gleason participated in several other shows before this self-centric variety series became his primary focus. Weirdly enough, the show started to lose its popularity after Gleason lost a considerable amount of weight. Much of his humor had revolved previously around his beefy frame. As such, when he showed up looking slimmer, the newer humor simply didn’t land.
8. Cop Rock
ABC Television/Fotos International/Getty ImagesCop Rock is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a show where crime scenes are mixed together with musical numbers and choreography to form a bizarre program. This show failed from the standpoint that it didn’t know whether it wanted to be a hard-hitting crime show, or an innovative musical using an ordinary setting a la Grease. Even worse, there wasn’t much in the way of noteworthy star power. The most-known performer in this series is likely CCH Pounder.
7. AfterMASH
CaptainOT/MovieStillsDBAs the title suggests, this was a follow-up to the hit TV show which preceded it. AfterMASH was a two-season spinoff lasting 31 episodes. Though the producers were hoping to tap into nostalgia from the past, the show generally received poor reviews. Apparently, it’s one of those ideas which should stand on its own. Reinventing the wheel isn’t always the best thing when the core/original idea is so impactful.
6. Celebrity Boxing
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Back in 2002, FOX aired two episodes of this show in which fading athletes and D-List celebrities squared off in the ring. Just to paint a picture for you, here’s the card for these fights:
- Todd Bridges vs. Vanilla Ice
- Danny Bonaduce vs. Barry Williams
- Paula Jones vs. Tonya Harding
- Manute Bol vs. William ‘The Fridge’ Perry
- Joey Buttafuoco vs. Joanie ‘Chyna’ Laurer
- Dustin Diamond vs. Ron Palillo
- Darva Conger vs. Olga Korbut
Need we say more?
5. Hogan’s Heroes
danaone/MovieStillsDBDespite being on air for six seasons and over 160 episodes, those at TV Guide reportedly did not care too much for Hogan’s Heroes. The premise of the show included American troops presiding over a POW camp chock-full of Nazi soldiers. Interestingly enough, the heavy subject matter was flipped into being a fully-fledged comedy. It did end up winning two Emmy Awards throughout its run. Still, Hogan’s Heroes did have a cluster of folks who clearly didn’t like it very much.
4. The Brady Bunch Hour
MoviePics1001/MovieStillsDBThis variety show featuring America’s favorite blended family was aimed to capitalize on the past popularity enjoyed by the series. However, this variety format simply did not translate. Almost all of the original cast came back for this project (sans Eve Plumb aka Jan). Despite the colorful sets and constant dance numbers, the show was universally panned. The disjointed feel of the performances was exacerbated by the fact various cast members allegedly didn’t want to participate in the show in the first place.
3. XFL
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XFL was a football league aimed to essentially be an alternative to the other pro leagues around the world. Constructed by professional wrestling mogul Vince McMahon, the league was to offer a different set of rules — all while still offering many of the entertainment angles one would enjoy when watching an episode of Smackdown! or Raw.
The ratings were awful, the on-field product was terrible, and the 8-team league ultimately folded after one year. Interestingly enough, the league is planning to return in 2024 after merging to become the UFL — led by former professional wrestler and current global star Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.
2. My Mother the Car
Bettmann/Getty ImagesYes…this was actually the title/premise of a television show that aired for millions of people to see. Essentially — as you can see in the image above — a man (Jerry Van Dyke) somehow found out that his dead mother was reincarnated in the form of an old 1928 vehicle. From there, the man can talk to his mom through the radio.
Shockingly enough, this NBC-produced sitcom lasted 30 episodes (which amounted to one full season). Even weirder, as the storyline goes, a weird villainous car collector aims to do anything he can to procure the talking car from the son. Yeah, the whole thing sounds bizarre to us, too.
1. The Jerry Springer Show
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The Jerry Springer Show is the king of trash television — and we don’t mean that in a negative way. Daytime television often aims to be a bit more controversial in nature. If you’re a millennial, there’s probably a 90-percent chance you watched a host of these shows in the morning if you ever stayed home sick from school.
Springer took it to a whole other level — with convoluted stories involving primarily cheating (though also storylines that were borderline not acceptable for television). Whenever you hear the chants of “Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!”, you knew which program you were watching.
